Frequently Asked Questions

General Information Who is Bradford House Publishing? Why choose Bradford House Publishing over other publishers? What is the difference between self-publishing, digital publishing and traditional publishing? Is Bradford House Publishing a vanity publisher? What is an ISBN, and who handles it? Can I publish my book with Bradford House Publishing and another publisher if I… Read more »

FAQ

General Information

Who is Bradford House Publishing?
Why choose Bradford House Publishing over other publishers?
What is the difference between self-publishing, digital publishing and traditional publishing?
Is Bradford House Publishing a vanity publisher?
What is an ISBN, and who handles it?
Can I publish my book with Bradford House Publishing and another publisher if I choose to?
Can I submit multiple manuscripts to Bradford House Publishing?
Can Bradford House Publishing edit my manuscript?
How much does it cost to publish with Bradford House Publishing?
Will Bradford House Publishing promote my book?
Who will be able to purchase my book?
What are the advantages of POD (Print-On-Demand)?
Can Bradford House Publishing publish my book if I live outside of Australia?
Does Bradford House Publishing take commissions on royalty payments?
When does Bradford House Publishing pay royalties?
Is withholding tax applicable on royalties for authors living outside of Australia?
Do I retain the rights to my work if I publish through Bradford House Publishing?
Can I publish a non-English book with Bradford House Publishing?
Can Bradford House Publishing have my book reviewed?

Who is Bradford House Publishing?

Bradford House Publishing is a self-publishing business that publishes fiction and non-fiction books across all genres. In recognizing the need for author and book exposure, Bradford House Publishing also specializes in author platforms (websites). We are committed to delivering exactly what the author desires – control over their product. We appreciate your need for security and the protection of personal information. Please review our Privacy Policy for further details.

Why choose Bradford House Publishing over other publishers?

Publishing a book can be a daunting process for the uninitiated. Specific knowledge is required to take a manuscript through all the stages required to become a published book. By choosing to publish with Bradford House Publishing, you will be engaging the services of industry professionals who provide continued support and assistance throughout the publishing process.

Most self-publishers don’t focus on author platforms as a key ingredient of author success, but at Bradford House Publishing, we do. Publishing is a journey that involves far more than just the publishing of your book in an industry where over 1 million books a year are published.

Bradford House Publishing recognises this fact, and deals with it through building professional author platforms to compliment the publishing process. Authors in today’s world need to vigorously market themselves and their book(s) if they wish to become successful, and this is where author platforms come into their own. Without one, an author has virtually no guarantee of success, but with a platform, the author can reach a worldwide audience, and their book has the potential to become a best seller. Furthermore, authors will find that unless they do have an author platform, it will be unlikely that traditional publishers will take an interest in them or their book.

Our focus on author platforms is what sets us apart from other self-publishers. All self-publishers use POD (Print-On-Demand) technology today. All publishers issue ISBN’s. All self-publishers offer interior design and cover designs. All self-publishers use Ingram Spark to list books they publish with online bookstores such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This is a standard procedure in today’s self-publishing industry, consequently if you are looking for what makes us different, look no further than our ability to not only publish your book, but to also build professional author platforms unlike any other self-publisher.

What is the difference between self-publishing, digital publishing and traditional publishing?
Authors who self-publish have full control over the publishing process, and are assisted with this process by professionals. They can choose the cover design and the interior design for their manuscript. They can choose whether to have their manuscript edited (we strongly advocate having their manuscript edited). They can determine the price of their book and the subsequent royalty payment. They retain full rights of ownership over their published work, and all files used in the process of publishing their book. When self-publishing, no agent is required. Self-publishing eliminates the rejection letter from traditional publishers. Self-publishing ensures the manuscript will be published in a timely and efficient manner.

Digital publishing is where an author’s book is published as an eBook, and read on readers such as the Kindle reader. It is a cost-effective way of publishing a book where shipping costs and lead times don’t apply, as there is no time delay in downloading a book from an online bookstore. The cost of an eBook is far lower than the cost of a printed book, and the price of an eBook to the reader can be set at a far lower price than a printed book also, making the eBook a viable alternative to a printed book.

With traditional publishing, authors must seek an agent, for most traditional publishers don’t accept manuscripts from an author unless they follow this path. Traditional publishers require the author to sign over their rights to their manuscript, and take full control of the publishing process. The author has no ownership of any files used in the publishing process, and traditional publishers take a high commission on royalties, leaving the author with little in the way of royalties. Traditional publishing contracts are complex and all encompassing. Traditional publishers will allocate a specific amount of money to promoting an author’s book, but if the promotion is not successful, the traditional publisher will not continue to promote the book, leaving the author in no-man’s land because they have signed away their rights for years. Traditional publishers cannot guarantee that bookstore owners will give a book shelf space either.

Is Bradford House Publishing a vanity publisher?

No, Bradford House Publishing is not a vanity publisher as we do not require an author to purchase copies of their own book, which is the hallmark of a vanity publisher.

What is an ISBN, and who handles it?

An ISBN is an International Standard Book Number. ISBNs were 10 digits in length up to the end of December 2006, but since 1 January 2007 they now always consist of 13 digits. ISBNs are calculated using a specific mathematical formula and include a check digit to validate the number.
Bradford House Publishing obtains ISBN’s from Thorpe-Bowker. ISBN’s:
• Are the global standard for identifying titles
• Identify each version of a book, print or digital
• Allow retailers to track book inventory
• Improves the chances your book will be found

Bradford House Publishing handles the ISBN for you, and your work is registered under Bradford House Publishing, and included with each publishing package. The ISBN is inserted on the copyright page and on the back cover of the book with a bar code, which allows sellers to scan the bar code and identify the ISBN.

Can I publish my book with Bradford House Publishing and another publisher if I choose to?

Yes, Bradford House Publishing is a non-exclusive publisher, which means the rights to your work remain yours, and we have no say in whether you can source another publisher should you wish to. On request, we will provide the source files used in the publishing of your book should you wish to use another publisher; however, it is unlikely another publisher would wish to use them as they would want to produce your book to their own publishing standards and requirements.

Can I submit multiple manuscripts to Bradford House Publishing?

Yes. Bradford House Publishing does not place a limit on how many manuscripts you submit and publish with us, however, cost may be limiting as each manuscript will require its own package.

Can Bradford House Publishing edit my manuscript?

Yes, we have a bank of editors we use for editing manuscripts. While editing is an option with each of our packages, we strongly recommend it to give you a competitive advantage over the author who chooses not to edit their manuscript. Editing costs run at $0.02 per word, therefore a manuscript of 100,000 words will cost $2,000 to edit. Many new authors view editing as a prohibitive cost, and it is true that editing is a major cost associated with publishing a book, however, we advise it to give your work the quality it deserves.

How much does it cost to publish with Bradford House Publishing?

The cost of publishing your book will depend on the package you choose. If you only want an eBook, and choose not to have it edited, the cost is low. If you want an eBook, a printed book, and a custom-built website, the cost will be in the thousands of dollars. It doesn’t cost a fortune to publish a book, but if you want a website as well, then the costs mount depending on the functionality of the website, its design and development. Our packages are designed to cover most options, however, should you require custom design, or something not included in our packages, contact us for further discussion.

Will Bradford House Publishing promote my book?

Bradford House Publishing is not a marketing organisation, and accordingly, does not offer marketing services. We do, however, offer websites which can be used for marketing purposes by the author, and we do offer advice and training on how to use an author platform to promote your work through twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and other social media outlets. We are associated with a marketing organisation, and should you require its services, we can provide you with contact details.

Who will be able to purchase my book?

Once published, your book will have a global audience because it will be listed on online bookstores such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and should a retailer wish to place your book on their bookshelf, they can. There is really no limit as to who can purchase your book once it has been published.

What are the advantages of POD (Print-On-Demand)?

POD allows for a book to be printed one at a time if need be. It is an Earth friendly way of printing books because the use of resources (paper) can be limited to the demand for the book. There is no wastage involved, and no need to store large inventories of books.

Can Bradford House Publishing publish my book if I live outside of Australia?

Yes. No matter where you live in the world, Bradford House Publishing can publish your book provided it is written in the English language.

Does Bradford House Publishing take commissions on royalty payments?

No. Bradford House Publishing passes the full profit on the sale of a book onto the author in recognition that royalty earned by an author is their reward for their rights to their work.

When does Bradford House Publishing pay royalties?

We pay royalties to authors in the month following receipt of the royalty from the retailer after a book has been sold. Royalties are held in a separate cash reserve account by Bradford House Publishing as a security measure. For authors living outside of Australia, there is a $20 transfer fee charged by our bank for the transfer of funds overseas. Consequently, where the royalty does not exceed $20 in any month, the royalty payments are accumulated in the cash reserve account until a royalty amount of $100 minimum is reached.

Is withholding tax applicable on royalties for authors living outside of Australia?

Authors living outside of Australia who have chosen to publish their book through us will be subject to withholding tax on their royalty in accordance with Australian taxation law. Withholding tax varies from country to country based on whether overseas countries have tax treaties with Australia. Often, the withholding tax is no higher than 10 percent of the royalty payment. For further information on the withholding tax rate based on the country you live in, contact us.

Do I retain the rights to my work if I publish through Bradford House Publishing?

All rights to an author’s work remain with the author, and this is written into the contract between us and the author.

Can I publish a non-English book with Bradford House Publishing?

No, not at this juncture.

Can Bradford House Publishing have my book reviewed?

Yes. Once your book has been printed, we can pass it onto a recognised book reviewer to have it reviewed.

Printer & Publishing

Is Bradford House Publishing a traditional or non-traditional publisher?

What is Print-on-Demand publishing?

Is Bradford House Publishing a traditional or non-traditional publisher?

Bradford House Publishing is a non-traditional self-publisher. Being a self-publisher provides you, as the author, with the benefit of remaining in control of the finished product because you can decide which fonts, images, tables, and illustrations to use, the cover design and interior layout. You retain the rights to your work, unlike with a traditional publisher. It can take more than two years to have your manuscript turned into a book and published by a traditional publisher, but with self-publishing, the process is complete within a matter of months. Unlike a traditional publisher, you won’t need an agent who eats into your profit, when self-publishing. Unlike a traditional publisher who takes a large slice of the author’s royalty, when self-publishing through Bradford House Publishing, the author receives 100% of their royalty. Unlike with traditional publishers, when self-publishing, the author is not at the whim of retailers deciding whether to carry their book on their bookshelves or not.

What is Print-on-Demand publishing?

Print-on-Demand publishing, also referred to as POD, uses digital technology to produce books in a cost-effective, and easy manner, either one at a time or in large print runs. Traditional printing generally prints books in large numbers, and requires publishers to hold them in stock. POD, on the other hand, is an as needed printer, meaning no wastage of paper through printing books that may not sell. WITH POD< the book is always available for sale once it has been published, whereas a traditional publisher may only print one book run of any book. The author has no control over how many books a traditional publisher will print, and because Bradford House Publishing uses POD, the author can rest assured their book will always be printed on demand.

eBook Digital Formatting & Distribution

What is an eBook reader?

Do I have any control over the cost of my eBook?

What royalty can I expect to earn on eBook sales?

Will my eBook be on a retail site?

Will my eBook have an ISBN?

What is an eBook reader?

eBook readers are devices that allow a book to be downloaded electronically. Many people opt to buy eBooks because they do not cost as much as a printed book, and can be downloaded to their reader immediately, thus providing an alternative avenue to readers of books. Amazon and Barnes & Noble are the largest eBook stores in the world giving readers access to hundreds of thousands of books. Amazon uses a wireless reader known as Kindle. Barnes & Noble uses a wireless reader known as Nook. Apple have their iBooks store, and Google Play Books allows customers to buy books through their Google account and access them on almost any device with their Web browser.

Do I have any control over the cost of my eBook?

Yes. Bradford House Publishing does not attempt to control the retail price of an eBook, but is willing to recommend a selling price to the author.

What royalty can I expect to earn on eBook sales?

Authors receive 100 percent of the royalty. To learn more about the calculation of royalty payments see Pricing and Royalty Payments FAQ. Royalties are not paid on copies provided free of charge, or on copies sold to the author.

Will my eBook be on a retail site?

Yes. eBooks are listed with online bookstores such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Allow for a period of 4 weeks to elapse from the date of publishing to the time of listing with online bookstores.

Will my eBook have an ISBN?

Yes.

Content Evaluation and Copyright

What is content evaluation?

Why does my book undergo content evaluation?

How long does it take to evaluate content?

What do we look for during content evaluation?

Do we register the copyright to your creative work?

What is content evaluation?

Content evaluation is the process undertaken by Bradford House Publishing to assess your manuscript to ensure it meets the standards of publishing. We do not accept manuscripts for publication that in our opinion:

infringes, misappropriates or violates a third party’s patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, moral rights or other proprietary or Intellectual Property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy;

is fraudulent, false, misleading or deceptive;

denigrates us;

violates, or encourages any conduct that would violate, any applicable law or regulation or would give rise to civil liability;

is violent or threatening or promotes violence or actions that are threatening to any other person; or

promotes illegal or harmful activities or substances;

Why does my book undergo content evaluation?

Bradford House Publishing follows and maintains a standard of publishing to protect ourselves and you as the author. We are not willing to publish material that is libel, infringes copyright, is damaging in any way, or promotes criminal conduct.

How long does it take to evaluate content?

Evaluation of manuscript content fluctuates depending on manuscript length and the number of manuscripts in the queue for evaluation.

How is copyright treated?

Copyright law creates incentives for people to invest their time, talent, and other resources in creating new material – particularly cultural and educational material, which benefits society.

In Australia, copyright law is set out in the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). This is federal legislation, and applies throughout Australia. The Commonwealth Attorney-General administers Australian copyright law.

The key points of Australian copyright law are:

Copyright provides creators with an incentive to create new works and a legal framework for the control of their creations

Copyright protection is free and applies automatically when material is created

There is no registration system for copyright in Australia

Copyright does not protect ideas, information, styles, or techniques.

Copyright does not protect names, titles, or slogans.

There are no general exemptions from copyright law for non-profit organizations

There are some situations where copyright law allows people to use copyright material without permission for their own personal use, but these are narrow and specific.

Australian copyright law applies to actions that take place in Australia, even if the material used was created or first published in another country.

The copyright symbol, date of copyright, and owner of the copyright (the author), is placed on the reverse of the title page of a book in recognition of the copyright.

Pricing & Royalties

How does Bradford House Publishing calculate royalty payments?

How is the discount on my book determined?

What payment form will I receive my royalties in?

When am I paid royalties?

Can my royalty cheque be split between a co-author and myself?

Can I arrange for someone else to receive my royalty payments?

How does Bradford House Publishing calculate royalty payments?

Royalty payments are calculated differently depending on whether the royalty is for a printed book or an eBook. For a printed book, the royalty is calculated as follows:

The above royalties would be paid in full to Australian authors, but withholding tax would be deducted from the royalty payment for overseas authors. As an example, Australia and the United States have a tax treaty where royalties are taxed at 10%. Therefore, the royalty in the above example for an author living in the United States would be AUS$6.30 and AUS$3.01 respectively.

How is the discount on my book determined?

The book wholesale discount is the amount of the retail price you give away to a wholesale or retail account such as Ingram Book (a wholesaler / distributor) or Barnes & Noble (a retailer). You can choose a wholesale discount anywhere from 20% on up. Typical book wholesale discounts fall in a few ranges: 20%, 40%, 50% and 55%. Most bookstores will purchase your book from a distributor such as Ingram. This means that the distributor will receive a portion of the wholesale discount you offer. If you give Ingram 50%, the retailer may get 40% from Ingram.

Each book wholesale discount level has advantages and disadvantages – the more you give, typically the broader your distribution may be

All bookstores can carry your book – at least financially speaking. Even the smallest independent bookstores can get a decent wholesale price when they purchase your books from a distributor like Ingram. The online sites and large retail stores will most likely discount your book heavily from retail.

The downside is that you give away more than half the money on your book. A 55% discount is not usually needed for most books, and the normal discount that retailers require is 40%.

Most authors move back and forth between the retail pricing calculations and the wholesale discount to try and find the ideal pricing / discount combination. You can also contact us if necessary, and we can walk through all of this with you.

Normally, various discounts are offered to libraries and college bookstores (15%-20%), independent bookstores (40%) and large chains and distributors (50%-55%). You may also want to offer volume discounts for purchases of more than 10 copies of your book at one time.

What payment form will I receive my royalties in?

Royalties paid to Australian authors will be paid by direct debit from our bank account to the author’s bank account. Overseas authors will be paid by cheque.

When am I paid royalties?

Royalties are paid in the month following their receipt by Bradford House Publishing. In the case of overseas authors, the royalty must have accumulated to a level of $100 before a cheque is sent to the author.

Can my royalty cheque be split between a co-author and myself?

No, we pay the royalty to one recipient, and should the recipient wish to split the royalty between themselves and a co-author, they may.

Can I arrange for someone else to receive my royalty payments?

This can be arranged provided you transfer the entire rights of your agreement with Bradford House Publishing to that person, including the copyright for the book, but not the content of the book or your manuscript.